Domestic appliance



1959 N. ALBRECHT 2897,812

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 3, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N V EN TOR.

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United tetes Patent (3 Leonard N. Albrecht, Birmingham, Mich. assigno'rto General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of DelawareApplic'zifion January 3, 1955, Serial N0.-479,507

2 Claims. (Cl. 12619) This inven'tion relat'es t'o a do'r'ms'tica'ppliance and more particularly to a do'rnestic bilt in oven arrange'ment forming a part 'of the Zarchite'tur'al 'layout f a kitchen.

Ovens have been arrnge'ci in kitdhens in various ways butmost always'asadistintively separate u'nit arranged in"sucha Way'that its Spac'e iso'rily us f ul as an oven.

lt is an object of this irivention to provide a kitchen with anextensive Worktable of which a part-may be comveniently usedfor an oven.

lt is another object of this invention to provide an oven which can becorit1acte'd r expanded in size acco1'ding to the maximum dimensions of'the-food load to be placed therein.

lt is an'other objectof This inve'nt-ion to provide an 'oven which*canbe raisedor Wer'ed in heig'ht'ac'cording to the height of the foodloadto 'be placed therein.

These and otherobjectsof the 'invention are obta'ined in the forms shownin the drawings in which a wrktable for a kitchen is shown. The topofthe worktab'le'has a niovable 'section which f01'ms the m0vable top fian (wen compartment. The side and rear Walls f the (Wen compartment areconnected't0'this mVable top section. A v'ertically sliding door i'salso connected to this stfcture. The bottom of the oven is statiol1aryand 'lociied ju:tbeneath the top section*when 'the"top is aligr'iedxviththe remaining portions of the 'tabletop Cabinet. T0 use the oven forbroiling, the topis"raised just high 'enough to 'p'rovide a space oflittle height"sufliciznt to acco'rnmodate the relatively (hin flatfoodleid which may be cooked in this manner. For baking, the top israised a greater amon nt in portion to the height of the food load to beplaced therein. For a small food load it may be raised to half the fullheight While for larger food loads it may be raised to full height.

Further objeets and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following deseription, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table top cabinet for a kitchenembodying one form of an oven constructed according to this invention;

Figure 2 is a front'view of the oven section of the cab inet shown inFigure l;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along thelines 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view along the lines 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional vieW along the lines 5-5of F igure 2; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view along; the lines 66 ofFigure 5.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1 there isshown a table top cabinet 20 resting upon the floor 22 of a kitchen.This cabinet has a mov-- Patfented Aug. 4, 1959 able top section 24which when lowered fits tightly onto the top ofthe cabinet 20 -sothatthetop suriace of the cabinet is plane. The section 24 may have its edgS26 extending outwardly at an angle to form a bevel which will fittightly the beveled abutting edge portions of the top of the cabinet 20.Fastened .to 'thistop section 24 are the -side Walls 28 and the rearWall 30. These united Walls together With the top section 24 aresuitablyinsulated. Just beneath the top section 24 is a =broil heater 32which may also 'be usedto provide a sn1all amount-of top heat forbaking. k

The bottom of the oven is supported'by fourtzill narrow posts 34. Thisbottom cf theoven is stationary and "is formed by a rectangularsheetmetal pan 36 having a central depressed portion. Bach side. of this pan36 is 'provided with :a 'hairpin shaped sheathed =tubular type electric-heater 38. Supported above the pan 56 is an oven rack 40. The sidewalls 28 may be provided With'one er more ledges 42 for Supportingadditional racks 44. These ledges 42 are in the 'jf0nn of plainshoulders to allow the track 44t0 be supported upon the rack 40 in theevent thatthe rack 44 is not.rernoved 'before the lowering of the top24.

Built into the cabinet 20 011 each side ofthe oven struct'ure area setof vertical guide rails .46. The side Walls 28 have downwardlyextending;projections "48 carrying sets of verticallyspacedrollers50which roll .Within the guide rails 46 to guide themovable structureupwardlyand downwardly. The weight of'the movable structure is'beilancedby'.two counter weights 52 each connected to the lower endof acable orchain54extending over pulleys or sprockets.56 upon a motor shaftt58behind the rear wall30. The other end of each.ofthe cables or chains 514is fastened:tothe bottom portion of therear wall 30beneath thepulleyor.sprockets as shown in Figure 4. The shaft 58 may =be rotated ineither directionby the reversiblemotor. 60 t0 raise orlowerthe topsection 24 for the pur-pose of making theinteriorxof the ovencompartment 62 whatever size is desired. 'However since=the Wallsarecounter=balanced the top seetion 24 may also be move'd manually tomake the oven compartment 62 any size desired. The cabinet is..proxridedWitlfbeveled portions' 64 arounjd the opening'forfthe top section 24 soasto make;a goodfitlforthebeveled projections 26 as showniuFigures 2 and3 When the top section 24 is lowered the maxirnum. amount.

The front edges of the side Walls 28 are provided with suitable guideways 66 for the vertically slidable front .door 68 of the movableportion of the oven structure. Preferably this door is madesubstantially all of three spaced sheets of glass which are sealed inglass around their edges and have a high vaeuum in the spaces betweenthe sheets. This door 68 may be raised and 10W- ered by a cable or chain70 driven by a suitable reversible electric motor 72 which may beco-ordinated with the raising and lowering of the upper oven structure.This cable dr chain 70 extends from the bottorn of the door 68 over anadjacent small pulley on the bottom Wall 36 to a winding and unwindingdrum driven by the reversible electric motor 72 as shown in Fig. 4.

The movable upper oven structure may be held firrnly in any desiredposition by a wedging type latch mernber 74 mounted upon a shaft 76 andnormally pulled into engagement With the Wall structure 28 by a spring78. The wedging type latch member 74 has a friction surface on its outerend adapted to engage the side Wall 28. T0 release the wedging typelatch member 74 the outer end of the shaft 76 is provided With a handle80 in the form of a lever projecting frorn the front of the table topcabinet 20. This handle 80 may be depressed to move the member 74 awayfrom the side wall 28.

The thermostatic oven manipulating control member 82 and suitableindicating means 84 are mounted upon a second movable top section 86 ofthe cabinet 20. This section 86 is hinged so that when it is folded downinto the opening 88 of the table top, the thermostatic control 82 andthe indicating means 84 are 011 the bottom side and are therebyconcealed. When folded up as shown in Figures 1 and 2, tl1e controls andthe'manipulating and indicating rneans 82 and 84 are freely exposed in aconvenient osition. When the oven is not in use, the section 86 may befolded down flush witl1 the top of the cabinet 20. Likewise the section24 may be moved downwardly to a position where it is also flush with thetop of the cabinet 20 so that the entire top of the cabinet 20 forms oneplane smooth worktable. Beneath tl1e oven portion there may be provideda single bonom drawer 90 extending in front of the counter weights andbelow tl1e motor 72 between the guide rails 46. In Figures 1 and 2 thetop section 24 is shown in the approximate position for broiling. InFigure 3, the top section is shown in the approximate position for asmall roast. In Figure 4 the top section is shown in the approximateposition for roasting two different food loads one above the other atthe same time. This position may also be used for a food load ofexceptional height.

While the form of ernbodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

l. A cabinet including a top extending generally horizontally, said tophaving a movable section forming the top of an oven compartrnent, saidcompartment having a normally stationary bottom Wall, said compartmentalso having side and rear Walls connected to said rnovable sectionextending in telescoping relationship with said bottom wall andcontinuing below said bottom Wall, said side Walls being provided withsupports for a rack, a bott0m oven rack resting upon said bottom wall,said bottorn Wall having peripheral portions substantially aligned withsaid supports but offset sufliciently to clear said supports when saidsupports are lowered beneath said bottom Wall, another oven rack locatedabove said bottom rack resting by gravity upon said supports when saidSupports are above said bottom Wall, said another rack resting bygravity 011 said bottorn rack and being lifted 011 said supports by saidbottom rack when said supports are rnoved below said bottorn wall,heating means associated with said bottom wall for heating said 4 lcompartment, and means for raising said movable section with said sideand rear walls in various amounts to enlarge the oven compartment tovarious sizes.

2. A cabinet including a top extending generally horizontally, said tophaving a movable section forming the top of an oven compartment, saidcompartment having a normally stationary bottom Wall, said compartmentalso having side and rear Walls connected 10 said movable sectionextending in telescoping relationship with said bottom Wall andcontinuing below said bottom wall, said side walls being provided withledges for supporting a rack, the thickness of the side wall portionsbelow tl1e ledges being substantially equal to the thickness of the sideWall portions above the ledges plus the thickness of a ledge, a bottomoven rack resting upon said bottom Wall and having its peripheralportion spaced from said side walls below said ledges suffioiently todem said ledges when said side Walls are raised, another oven rack widerthan the bottom rack and wide enough to rest by gravity upon said ledgeswhen said ledges are above said bottom wall and resting by gravity uponsaid bottom rack and being lifted 011 said ledges by said bottom rackwhen said ledges are moved below said bottom Wall, heating meansassociated with said bottom wall for heating said compartment, means forraising said movable section With said side and rear Walls variousamounts to enlarge the oven compartrnent to various sizes, and doormeans for closing the front of said compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS470,419 Capek Mm. 8, 1892 727,097 Cross May 5, 1903 998,208 Scrote July18, 1911 1,225,606 Fogal May 8, 1917 1761,019 Marvel June 3, 19302180,161 Miller Nov. 14, 1939 2,288,414 Norton et a1 Inne 30, 19422415,663 Vitek Feb. 2, 1947 2447,364 Renshaw Aug. 17, 1948 2,565273Shuler et a1. Aug. 21, 1951 2,570517 Brock Oct. 9, 1951 2589,393 JamesMar. 18, 1952 2658,985 Maxwell Nov. 10, 1953 2,790112 Linde Apr. 23,1957 2,795739 Wood June 11, 1957 2808,497 Kesling et a1. Oct. l, 1957

